Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom198occupied by many passions, becomes dead to virtue; and apply what you will to it, it gets noperception of the matter, but whether you threaten punishment or anything else, continues insensible.[3.] Wherefore I beseech you, while we have hopes of salvation, while we can turn, to use everymeans to do so. For men who have become past feeling, are after that in the blind state 1504 ofdespairing pilots, who give up their vessel to the wind, and themselves contribute no assistance.Thus the envious man looks to one thing only, that is, to satisfy his lust, and though he be like tobe punished or even slain, still he is possessed solely by that passion; and in like manner theintemperate and avaricious. But if the sovereignty of the passions be so great, much greater is thatof virtue; if for them we despise death, much more for this; if they (sinners) regard not their ownlives, much less ought we to do so in the cause of our salvation. For what shall we have to say, ifwhen they who perish are so active about their own perdition, we for our own salvation manifestnot even an equal activity, but ever continue wasting with envy? Nothing is worse than envy; todestroy another it destroys itself also. The eye of the envious wastes away in grief, he lives in acontinual death, he deems all men, even those who have never wronged him, his enemies. Hegrieves that God is honored, he rejoices in what the devil rejoices in. Is any honored among men?This is not honor, envy him not. But is he honored by God? Strive and be thou like him. Thou wiltnot? Why then dost thou destroy thyself too? Why castest thou away what thou hast? Canst thounot be like unto him, nor gain any good thing? Why then dost thou besides this take for thyself evil,when thou oughtest to rejoice with him, that so even if thou be not able to share his toils, thoumayest profit by rejoicing with Him? For often even the will is able to effect great good. At leastEzekiel saith, that the Moabites were punished because they rejoiced over the Israelites, and thatcertain others were saved because they mourned over the misfortunes of their neighbors. ( Ezek.xxv. 8 .) Now if there be any comfort for those who mourn over the woes of others, much morefor those who rejoice at the honors of others. He charged the Moabites with having exulted overthe Israelites, yet it was God that punished them; but not even when He punisheth will He have usrejoice over those that are punished. For it is not His wish to punish them. Now if we must condolewith those who are punished, much more must we avoid envying those who are honored. Thus, forexample, Corah and Dathan perished with their company, making those whom they envied brighter,and giving themselves up to punishment. For a venomous beast is envy, an unclean beast, a deliberatevice which admits not of pardon, a wickedness stripped of excuse, the cause and mother of all evils.Wherefore let us pluck it up by the roots, that we may be freed from evil here, and may obtainblessings hereafter; through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom andwith whom, to the Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory now and ever and world without end. Amen.Homily LVI.John ix. 1, 21504πηροῦνται , a conjecture of Dr. Heyse, for πειρῶνται301